Apple has two new iPad models slated for early in the year: a new with A18 chip, and a new with an M4 chip. While Apple product launches can often sound exciting, there might not be too much more to the story for these iPad models.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s new iPad will be gaining the A18 chip, up from the A16 chip. , on the other hand, will be bumped from M3 to M4. For the , this means Apple Intelligence support for the first time, which might actually be valuable now that Apple Intelligence Siri is around the corner with iOS 26.4.

Besides that, there won’t be anything major. has been rocking the same design since 2020, and iPad has since 2022. Despite that, there’s no redesign or groundbreaking improvement in sight. won’t gain Face ID or ProMotion, and the won’t be gaining a laminated display – at least for now.

Other rumors have pointed at and gaining the N1 chip like other Apple products, which is probably a given.

For most people, I’d say these devices likely aren’t worth waiting for – especially . M4 is a faster chipset, though it won’t make a meaningful difference for the vast majority of iPad usage. For the , whether or not you wait is mostly dependent on how much you value Apple Intelligence.

In any case, if you’re interested in buying a current-generation or , there’s some great discounts right now, ranging from $50-110 off. I’d say those savings are worth not waiting, particularly on the iPad Air side of things.

All in all, the 2026 updates for and are incredibly lackluster – barring Apple Intelligence support on the .

My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:

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